Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

áf the duty of prayfing God. CKAP. XXXVII. of the outwardexpref ing inward thankfulnef e by prayfing God. THe outward duty is , to expreffe our inward thankfulneífe and chearfulneffe : Our thankful - neffe,by celebrating and prayfing the name of God, extolling his goodneffe, recounting his mercies,and exciting others to prayfe God : Our chearfulneffe, jubilando, by making a joyfull noyfe, and finging unto God; Pfal. ioo.r. and 8r.r. Jam.5.13. Now becaufe naturally we are backward in the performance of this duty, infomuch that fcarce one of ten can be found to return prayfe and thanks unto God, as appeareth in the Tory of the ten lepers, Realons mo- Luke 17.17. I will therefore ufe fome arguments `''n "s to praife God. to move us thereunto. And firfi that threefold ar- gument Pfal. r 47. t . Praif ye the Lord. for it is good to f fag pray f s to our God: for it is pleat nt, and prayfe is comely. I. It is good: For it is the will of God in Chrift lefus concerning its, 1. Theo. 5. r 8. It is the com- mandment of God in many places ; Pfal. 50.14. And the fame is tefiified Pfal.92. r,2. I I. It is pleafant : Pfal. 13 5.3. For it is an exer- cife wherein not onely the faithful' on earth do efpe- cially rejoyce, but alfo the Saints and Angels in heaven,who enjoy perpetuall joy and happinefï'e,re- joycing and repofing therein a part of their happi- neffe. III. It is decent or comely : i . in refpea of God, to whom all glory and praife is due, and it is there- fore juft to give unto him theglory andpraife which is due